The Best Workout You Can Do. Period.

Well, it’s here. Day 1 of Blogmas at MCP Total Fitness – and what a good one it’s been! To kick things off, I’d like to
share a little tidbit with you. It’s the best workout you can do, seriously…I just did it this morning. That’s right, I’ve discovered the golden nugget that makes fitness dreams come true. If you do this workout, I can guarantee you will be successful.

The Golden Nugget

I was at the gym this morning, and it was exactly the way I like it – empty. No staff, no excessive grunters, no tough guys leaning on the squat rack I want to use, and no snarly-looking, apparently sweat-resistant, ladies staring at me like I’m insane for doing anything in the stretching area besides wimpy little crunches on a yoga mat. Ok, I have a few gripes about those who lurk about my gym…but it’s right around the corner, so I shouldn’t complain – especially not today, because none of them were there!

So, to set the scene for you, I was delighted when I pulled into the parking lot, because I knew this was going to be a good workout. So, fast forward – I was getting through my last set of dumbbell push presses, and as I was looking in the mirror, I thought…damn, I’m starting to see a difference in the way I look. I can always remember how I looked, how I moved, and how I felt when I was in the best shape of my life. To be clear, I don’t look, move or feel that way right now – BUT, when I looked in the mirror, I could tell I was closer to getting back to that place. Why? Because of all the workouts I’ve done up until this point. I could do more push-ups today than I could yesterday, I needed less rest time in between sets than I did last week, I was able to add weight to movements I could only do with body weight when I started getting back into the gym from my latest drought. This whole thought reminded me of Under Armour’s latest campaign – Rule Yourself. Check it out below.

Did it give you goosebumps? Good, me too. I love this message, and it’s a great visual for what occurred to me at the gym this morning. The BEST workout you can do….is the one you’re doing today, at 100%, max effort. Setting goals is awesome, and completely necessary, but an equal, and perhaps even greater, focus should be placed on what you will accomplish today. Every time you walk into the gym, every rep you complete, every gain you make, will ultimately lead you to achieving your long-term goals – and getting to set new ones! It’s all about laying the foundation.

Laying the Foundation

The beauty of this concept is that it applies to anything in life that’s even remotely difficult to achieve. If we’re talking fitness, it’s important to lay a solid foundation in your workouts, and gradually build your strength. In this case, like I mentioned, the best workout you can do, is the one you’re completing today. The best meal you can eat, is each meal you’ve prepared to fit within your nutrition plan. Focusing on each of these individual components, every day, will eventually lead to your ultimate goal – which I can only assume is achieving a healthy, fit lifestyle…most likely with a physique to match.

Let’s look at this from a couple other perspectives. Reading, for instance. Think you’d be reading this right now if you hadn’t first learned your letters, letter sounds, maybe memorized some sight words? I don’t think so, Jack. What about money? Ever noticed the framed $1 bills you see inside businesses? Some of these people are pulling in thousands, hundreds of thousands, every day – but they couldn’t have done it without making that first dollar. It’s all about the foundation, folks.

You’ve probably heard, “This month’s choices = next month’s body” – or something to that effect. I think this is all the more important to consider during the holidays. There are SO many things going on – parties, get-togethers, family dinners, etc. The temptation is unreal and, you know what, I believe you should absolutely take time to enjoy this time of year with the people around. Indulge in some pie, naughty desserts, egg nog – whatever floats your little holiday boat. However, I also think this is an excellent time of year to start laying your foundation for what you want to accomplish in 2016. Let’s be real – those first few weeks of January in the gym…SUCK. It’s packed, you feel awful because of all the terrible things you put your body through over the holidays, if you’re not familiar with all the moving parts of the gym, it can be really intimidating since it’s so….yes, packed.

So why not get the ball rolling right now? The gym-goers are starting to get scarce, so there’s plenty of room! You can start laying the foundation for where you want to go….tomorrow! Go for a walk, lift some weights, find a body weight circuit you like on YouTube – do ANYTHING. Focus on building off what you did yesterday…if that was nothing, well then hey, you have a lot of choices! That first workout is the toughest to get in, but once it’s over, it’s over! You can move on, and get better every. single. day. If working out isn’t your issue – you can do the same thing with nutrition…switch out a snack, drink one less pop, choke down a salad – whatever! Trust me – you WILL NOT regret it when January 1st rolls around.

Balance and the Journey

Now, I find it necessary to point out, that beginning to lay your fitness foundation right now doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your holidays. Know where you can find me on Christmas day? At my grandma’s, eating cheesy potatoes and green bean casserole – and probably washing it down with a few cranberry ginger shandies and party mix at the euchre table. You’ll also be able to find me pumping out a HIIT workout and a solid breakfast before I head over there, and you can bet your absolute bottom dollar you’ll find me in the gym on December 26th, turning all that nutritionally nasty stuff into gains, and continuing to lay the foundation for what I ultimately want to accomplish in 2016. It starts with accomplishing the foundational work in what’s left of 2015. Family time without guilt is important, as is time with your friends, co-workers, whatever – to maintaining balance. Fitness is about taking action in order to improve and enhance our lives, not to deprive and make being alive a terrible experience.

This is a journey, and when we’re looking at our fitness goals, it’s easy to become impatient. By focusing on laying the foundation, and working to improve – even a little bit – every single day, we will eventually get there. Take time to appreciate and celebrate yourself for all of the work you’ve put in to whatever point you’re at, and get excited about what’s to come. Start moving in the right direction, right now…don’t wait! The absolute best workout you can do, is the one that’s waiting for you right now!

Comment below, and let me know what action you’re going to take to start laying your foundation for success TODAY!

[…] wonder no more My word for this year is “Momentum”. If you read my post about the Best Workout You Can Do, you probably saw this one coming. I have several goals that I plan to achieve in 2016, and I plan […]